Bush Theatre News

The Papatango New Writing Prize, now in its eleventh year, opens for submissions today, 6 December 2018, until 9pm on 17 February 2019.

Performances begin tomorrow for Barrow Street Theatricals' highly anticipated American premiere of the Nassim Soleimanpour and Bush Theatre production of NASSIM by celebrated Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit Red Rabbit), featuring direction by Omar Elerian.

The Gate Theatre have announced their next production, Dear Elizabeth, a two-hander by award winning US playwright Sarah Ruhl will be performed by a series of guest actors including Travis Alabanza, Jade Anouka,Tim Crouch, Tamsin Greig and Alex Jennings.

The Running Man Theatre is like any other young theatrical troupe -the actors attend rehearsals and learn their lines, they make their props and costumes and the director coaches them to great performances. The only difference with this theatre company is that the actors have autism - a disorder that impairs communication and social connections.

Daniel Schumann, Lee Dean and Cambridge Arts Theatre in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre today announce an extension to the successful UK tour of Rebus: Long Shadows due to public demand. The production written exclusively for the stage by author of the original novels, Ian Rankin and playwright Rona Munro toured from September to November 2018, and in 2019 will tour to a further five cities - Glasgow from 29 January, then visiting Cardiff, Cambridge and Newcastle, before completing its run in Bath on 9 March.

Writer and Director Che Walker returns to the Finborough Theatre to direct the European premiere of his own play Time Is Love/Tiempo es Amor, opening at the Finborough Theatre for a four-week limited season on Tuesday, 1 January 2019 (Press Nights: Thursday, 3 January and Friday, 4 January 2019 at 7.30pm).

Former EastEnders and Coronation Street star Michelle Collins will join the cast of Tom Wright's knockabout comedy My Dad's Gap Year, alongside Adam Lannon, Alex Britt, Max Percy and previously announced Victoria Gigante. Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair, My Dad's Gap Year opens at Park Theatre on Wednesday 30 January 2019 for a strictly limited season.

The princess might be sleeping on the Belgrade Theatre's Main Stage over Christmas, but there's not much chance of snoozing in its B2 auditorium, with alternative panto Over The Top getting the holiday season off to an explosive start.

Ad Infinitum have announced the highlight of their next season as Extraordinary Wall of Silence (working title), a new show which delves into a relatively unknown history of oppression of the Deaf community in order to draw attention to and celebrate an under-threat culture. From Oralists who wanted to make deaf people speak and 'hear', to the Eugenics movement which aimed to eradicate deafness through sterilisation and extermination, to more recent threats from ignorance in mainstream society and the closing of Deaf Clubs, the new show will present the challenges the Deaf community have faced. Made with three Deaf and two hearing actors, the show will facilitate a long overdue encounter between the two worlds, shining a light onto a culture that isn't widely recognised in the mainstream media.

The first guest actors have been announced for Barrow Street Theatricals' American premiere of the Nassim Soleimanpour and Bush Theatre production of NASSIM by celebrated Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit Red Rabbit), featuring direction by Omar Elerian.

Steven Atkinson, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of HighTide, has today announced his final season for the company, which includes a full season of new writing at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019, and the return of HighTide Festivals in Aldeburgh and Walthamstow.

A politically-charged production of the gruesome musical Sweeney Todd (Fri 12 Apr to Sat 18 May) will be brought to life on the Everyman stage in April 2019. Directed by Nick Bagnall, the production explores the social inequalities in a decaying nineteenth century England ruled by the corruption of the upper classes. Liam Tobin (Everyman Company 2017 and 2018) plays the role of Sweeney Todd, with the full cast to be announced in the New Year. This bold production is joined by exciting collaborations with other theatre-makers.

Arcola Theatre in association with Maya Ellis today announce the full cast for the world premiere of Gabriel Gbadamosi's Stop and Search. Artistic Director of the Arcola Mehmet Ergen directs Munashe Chirisa (Akim), Tyler Luke Cunningham (Lee), David Kirkbride (Tone), Shaun Mason (Tel) and Jessye Romeo (Bev). The production opens on 14 January, with previews from 9 January, and runs until 9 February.

Over the last two years, the Abbey Theatre has welcomed close to 300,000 audience members to 97 productions and events, not only at the Abbey Theatre, but also in pubs, theatres and venues across Ireland and beyond.

This January, rapper, poet and award-winning Omar Musa brings his critically acclaimed show Since Ali Died back to Griffin Theatre Company for Sydney Festival following triumphant sold-out runs at Griffin's inaugural Batch Festival and Darwin Festival in 2018. Using the death of his hero Muhammad Ali as a lyrical springboard, Musa dives into a furious torrent of poetry, story and song, confronting everything from suburban violence to lost love to his Malaysian heritage-and the dark realities of growing up as a brown-skinned Muslim boy in Queanbeyan. Award-winning director Anthea Williams is once again at the helm of this livewire, hypnotic and totally unmissable hour of theatre.

Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative have today announced casting for the first ever UK stage adaptation of Agatha Christie's much-loved Miss Marple thriller The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. Colin R Campbell, Suzanna Hamilton, Julia Hills, Katherine Manners, Katie Matsell, Davina Moon, Huw Parmenter and Gillian Saker will join the previously announced Susie Blake and Simon Shepherd. The Mirror Crack'd will be a European Premiere, opening at Salisbury Playhouse on 15 February before touring to Dublin, Cambridge and Cardiff. The Mirror Crack'd will have an Opening Night on 25 February.

The King's Head Theatre, Making Productions and RGM Productions are delighted to announce the full cast for the West End transfer of Kevin Elyot's Coming Clean.

Up In Arms, in association with Pleasance and Ellie Keel, today announce the full cast for the world premiere of Annie Jenkins' In Lipstick. Alice Hamilton directs James Doherty (Dennis), Caroline Faber (Maud), and Alice Sykes (Cynthia). This marks the first collaboration of James Doherty and Alice Hamilton since their acclaimed multi-award-nominated work on Barney Norris' Eventide. In Lipstick opens at Pleasance, Islington on 11 January, with previews from 9 January, and runs until 26 January.

Poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko have joined forces to collaboratively write and perform a new show for children and families, Mole & Gecko: THE SHOW, which will tour theatres in, and around, London in Spring 2019.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus and Executive Producer Diane Borger, announces the cast and creative team for Barber Shop Chronicles. The Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production begins preview performances on Wednesday, December 5, 2018; opens Friday, December 7; and closes Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA.